Scratch: Because Your Kid Can't Do FORTRAN

The geniuses over at MIT have developed a new programming language that requires almost no knowledge of real languages like C++ or Java to learn. Dubbed “Scratch”, this new language is aimed at children and operates like a set of building blocks. Through a GUI, children can drag and drop, sounds, images, video, and other elements together to create a real, working program.

Now this seems like a great idea to get kids into computers at an early age, but if you want to make your child into both a programmer and a man, well then you need to throw your kid in front of a computer, tell him you need a few conditional statements and that he isn’t getting dessert until you see no less than five if, then statements on that screen. Or at least that’s what my father told me. I don’t think I ever ended up getting that sundae either…

In all seriousness though, it does look like a decent way to get your son or daughter into programming. Just beware of the video with the guy who looks like Bob Ross.